FIGHTING OFF A LATE STORM
Hagi’s strike decisive but adventurous Hibs give Gerrard and his team a serious scare
FROM his exposed position yards from the sodden Ibrox touchline, this would have been a thoroughly uncomfortable game for Steven Gerrard to watch.
The weather was only part of the Rangers manager’s problem. In Jack Ross’s Hibs, Rangers encountered an opponent who were supremely organised, built to counter attack at speed and who carried a threat until the last kick of the game.
They also left Glasgow nursing a grievance, after referee Willie Collum failed to award a penalty kick in response to a dangerously high boot from Ianis Hagi.
Yet while there was plenty in the game to unsettle Gerrard, who eschewed the shelter of the dugout for most of the match, the final whistle allowed a warm feeling of satisfaction to gush through.
The manager is entitled to reason that if his team can emerge from this kind of test unscathed, there is no reason to view any of the league campaign’s remaining hurdles with any degree of trepidation.
Next Saturday’s visit of Celtic may be one obvious exception but, importantly, Rangers are now displaying the mentality to hang tough and gather points even when they are not playing well.
And yes, in this 12th consecutive Premiership win, the league leaders carried a bit of luck, too.
If Hagi got away with one, he also provided the moment that mattered, steering the game’s winning goal over the line in the first half as Rangers enjoyed their most dominant spell of the game.
Pre-match, Ross had spoken of his enjoyment at the problemsolving aspect of taking on a team like Rangers. Yet before assessing the opposition he had to address a couple of internal issues.
The decision to name on-loan Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Dillon Barnes in place of the injured Ofir Marciano was simple enough but there was also the issue of replacing the suspended striker Christian Doidge following his midweek red card.
The Hibs boss came up with a formation that simultaneously kept two up front and squeezed another man into midfield.
The 3-5-2 formation also meant a recall for teenager Josh Doig, who, at left wing-back, was a persistent menace to Rangers and their captain, James Tavernier.
Within a minute, the visitors had shown their teeth. Barnes slung a diagonal ball out to Doig who utilised the space behind Tavernier to drive forward and deliver a cross to the back post. Martin Boyle, deployed in support of Kevin Nisbet, got there but was straining as he knocked the ball wide.
Nominally, Tavernier is a full-back but he is not really in the Rangers team to defend. He has been their single greatest attacking threat this season and, when Paul McGinn clumsily felled Glen Kamara 20 yards out, the frustration of the Hibs bench was loud and clear. The angle for the free-kick favoured Tavernier’s right foot but was a little too close to goal as the Premiership’s top scorer failed to get the right action to bring the ball down after it cleared the wall.
Another set-piece led, indirectly, to Rangers’ next chance. Joe Aribo carved out the space and rolled the ball into defender Leon Balogun’s path. His finish beat Barnes but was booted clear by Paul McGinn.
Now in control of the match, Rangers started to turn the screw.
A Tavernier corner found Connor Goldson’s forehead and required a reaction stop from Barnes.
And then Hagi, hitherto so elusive you’d barely have known he was afield, announced his presence.
The first effort was a showcase of the Romanian’s ability to manipulate an opportunity, his hip-swivelling turn sending Ryan Porteous the wrong way on the edge of the box, before the finish ghosted just wide.
His second was the end product of a patient build-up in which Aribo and Kamara kept the ball moving before feeding Kemar Roofe, who fired a cross low towards the back post. Hagi’s run got him in ahead of Paul Hanlon and he tucked the ball neatly into the bottom corner.
At that stage, Rangers were good value but Hibs maintained their threat. Faced up by Doig on the flank, Tavernier dived into a challenge that allowed the youngster to bound clear. Again, he targeted the back post but got too much purchase on a cross that cleared all comers.
It took a while for things to get going after the interval but it was Hibs who gained a foothold.
Another enterprising run and cross from Doig forced Balogun into evasive action, Goldson had to slide in to deny Boyle.
And then Hagi was fortunate not to be penalised as his rash attempt at a scissors-kick clearance nearly connected with Joe Newell’s face.
Rangers freshened things up by removing Hagi for Scott Arfield, who, in turn, had to be replaced after injuring himself as he fouled Melker Hallberg.
Newell, enjoying another excellent afternoon in the middle of the park for Hibs, then picked out Nisbet at the back post. Normally so assured in front of goal, the striker snatched at his finish, perhaps unaware of how much room he had to execute the volley.
Another Newell delivery was missed by Allan McGregor and just eluded Nisbet, then the keeper sprawled to his left to push away a Mellberg drive with Borna Barisic blocking Nisbet on the rebound.
If Hibs deserved an equaliser, Rangers could have doubled their margin of victory in stoppage-time as sub Alfredo Morelos, given a clear sight of goal, prodded his shot straight at Barnes.
‘When you don’t get that second goal, you know you’re going to have to rely on your big players to stand up and be counted,’ said Gerrard.
‘Barisic has made a match-saving block to maintain maximum points, Greegs (McGregor) comes and takes an important cross, so everyone is standing up and doing their jobs.’